42-year-old fund consultant dies whilst on holiday in Europe; cause of her death remains unclear
Ms Mah Ching Cheng was 42.
On her Facebook page, she stated that her definition of personal life success is to “stay healthy, gain knowledge and live a balanced life”. Little did she know that her life was to end at such a young age.
What had happened?
She was on a much-awaited trip to Europe with her husband of 18 years, Mr Edwin Teo, 44, a banking professional. On 19 February 2022, she passed away in a hospital in Frankfurt, Germany.
According to Shin Min Daily News, Ms Mah and her husband purchased a 10-day tour package to the Netherlands, Germany and France in October last year. They left Singapore on 12 February.
Upon arriving in Amsterdam after a twelve-hour flight, Ms Mah felt unwell and reported headaches and pain in her throat. She took some painkillers and administered an ART test, which showed a negative reading. Mr Teo had initially thought that his wife was not conditioned to long haul flights given the pandemic over the last few years – reportedly at this stage, she was experiencing mild symptoms.
As her headaches subsides on the third day in the Netherlands, Ms Mah began to experience abdominal pain and she sought medical attention. Her blood pressure was reportedly normal and again, painkillers were administered to her. She was told that if her condition deteriorates and she continues to be in pain, she should seek further medical help.
As Ms Mah was feeling much better, she travelled by car to Germany. Whilst in Germany, she sought medical opinion and assistance from two hospitals and no definite cause of her abdominal pain was detected. The pain in her abdomen grew increasingly worrying and on Feb 18, she was admitted to a hospital in Frankfurt.
According to Mr Teo, further checks on her bladder were normal, but within two hours of her admission, she was transferred to an intensive care unit and on the early morning the following day (Feb 19), she lapsed into a coma and her condition was critical – Mr Teo was asked to come to the hospital, and Ms Mah, his beloved wife, passed away shortly after on the same morning at 8.48am local time.
The cause of her death
Ms Mah took her last journey ten days after her death. An autopsy was required, though it reportedly only took place “a week or two” after her death. The process of claiming her belonging also delayed her return home. It was only after Mr Teo contacted the Singapore embassy in Germany that Ms Mah was repatriated to Singapore on the evening of Mar 1, 5pm. Mr Teo was noticeably grateful for the assistance and help rendered by staff of the Singapore embassy in Germany.
Local authorities had informed Mr Teo that the autopsy report will only be made known to him in the next “one to two months”. The cause of Ms Mah’s death remains unclear.
According to Mr Willian Quek, the owner of the funeral company responsible for Ms Mah’s funeral in Singapore, Ms Mah was not [properly] embalmed for her trip back home.
Mr Teo told local media that he is presently focused on giving his wife a proper funeral and farewell.
Ms Mah’s wake is held at Block 697A, Hougang Street 52, Singapore 531697 from 2 March to 4 March. Her cremation will take place at Mandai Crematorium Hall 03 on 5 March, 2.20pm.
She leaves behind her husband of 18 years whom she met whilst both were studying at a local polytechnic, her parents and her brother.
Source: Benchmark Exchange
Who was Mah Ching Cheng?
According to her Linkedin page, Ms Mah has been the Vice President, Senior Find Specialist at UOB bank since April 2014, and her responsibilities include managing the portfolios of high net-worth individuals in the region and beyond. She was formerly an investment consultant at DBS Bank for close to four years.
Ms Mah, a chartered financial analyst, holds a Master of Science in Asset and Wealth Management from the Nanyang Technological University, which she obtained in 2021. She graduated with a first-class honours degree in banking and finance in 2003. She also sits on the Mentorship Committee of the CFA Society Singapore, Mentorship Programme, which connects our senior CFA members with younger professionals.
Proficient in English, Chinese and Bahasa Indonesia, her opinion were also widely sought after by local media and international news agencies such as CNBC and the New York Times.
A classmate enrolled in the NTU MSc programme described her as an “exceptionally driven and enterprising individual”. Another of her classmate “highly recommend” her, describing her leadership capability as being “second to none”.
Ms Mah, according to her husband, had a cheerful personality, enjoys painting artworks, travelling, reading and cooking. As a tribute to her life, her funeral wake at Hougang was decorated with many of her art works.
She was, indeed, an accomplished professional, well-honed in her craft and well-respected by all who had met and interacted with her.
Her last post on her Facebook page was dated 1 January 2022 and she had a message for her friends and followers, “Cheers to a Brilliant Year in 2022”.
Her life was ended too young. She was gone too soon from all who loves her. May Ms Mah Ching Cheng rest in peace, without worries and without pain.
Source: Mah Ching Cheng's Facebook page
